London pigeon droppings inspire brooch-maker

"You need a sense of humour to wear one", said Frances Wadsworth-Jones

A young artist being showcased at the Museum of London has found inspiration for jewellery in pigeon droppings.

Frances Wadsworth-Jones from Ealing, west London, creates brooches using crushed precious and semi-precious gems which sell for up to £2,500.

She said it "played on the idea" that bird droppings landing on someone was "lucky".

Her collection is part of the Made in London exhibition at the museum and is on display until April.

'Beauty in unexpected'

Ms Wadsworth-Jones, 30, said she was inspired to create the 'Heaven Sent' collection of brooches on her journeys from Ealing to the Royal College of Art when she was completing a Masters in 2008.

She said: "I like to try and find beauty in the unexpected and I quite often look at the floor. Ealing is great for inspiration.

"People must think I'm mad because I have to take pictures of poo too. I've got hundreds," she added.

Each brooch contains hundreds of jewels including black diamonds, sapphires and tourmaline.

Asked why she thinks people want to look like they have a pigeon dropping on their lapel, she said: "The stain is very intimate, something that you wouldn't want and you're turning it into something beautiful."

A lot of the brooches have been sold in the Netherlands, she said.

"You definitely need a sense of humour to wear one," she added.

Ms Wadsworth-Jones studied silversmithing and jewellery at Glasgow School of Art and Jarvis Cocker is among her clients. He bought an ant brooch from her 'Thieves' collection.

Beatrice Behlan, co-curator of Made in London said Ms Wadsworth-Jones's style had a "Surrealist" quality, like Salvador Dali, but added: "I can't think of anyone who does jewellery quite like her."